Wednesday, February 18, 2004, 22:29 GMT
What is the correct spelling of this word? Is it ''bogeyman'', ''boogeyman'' or ''boogieman''?
Bogeyman, Boogeyman etc.
Thursday, February 19, 2004, 09:33 GMT
I think it looks like "boogeyman", scottish word isn't it?
Thursday, February 19, 2004, 10:44 GMT
No. Bogeyman is the correct spelling.
1. bogeyman
n. (pl. bogeymen) an evil spirit.
1. bogeyman
n. (pl. bogeymen) an evil spirit.
Friday, February 20, 2004, 00:26 GMT
It apparently depends on where you're from.
bogey man noun [C] (ALSO bogy man, US ALSO boogeyman)
an imaginary evil person who harms children:
Be good, or the bogey man will come and get you!
http://www.dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=8591
I suppose it also depends on how you pronounce it. "Bogey man" and "bogy man" look like they'd be pronounced [bOugi(:)m@n] whereas "boogeyman" looks like it should be pronounced [bu:gi(:)m@n]. So my suggestion it to spell it the way that fits your accent.
It's a bit like "ass" verses "arse". I pronounce the word "arse" as [a:s] and the word "ass" as [@s]. I call the body part an [a:s] so spelling it "arse" makes sense. I call the animal an [@s] ... well I'd usually say "donkey" but ... so spelling it "ass" makes sense.
An American, on the other hand, would pronounce both words [@s] so it would not make any sense for them to spell one of the words "arse". They'd pronounce "arse" as [a:rs] (and some of them would say [a:s]).
An interseting thing is that when you type "bogey man" into Google it asks if you meant "bogeyman" thus I suppose this is a valid spelling too ... yes, according to The American Heritage Book of English Usage it is. "His aliases include bogeyman, bogyman, boogeyman, boogyman, boogieman, and also boogerman, boogarman, and buggerman." I kind of like "buggerman", this one sounds extra nasty.
http://www.bartleby.com/64/C007/030.html
I've never had to write the word (until I started to write this post) but if I had I'd have chosen "boogeyman" just because this fits my pronunciation better than the single "o" alternatives.
bogey man noun [C] (ALSO bogy man, US ALSO boogeyman)
an imaginary evil person who harms children:
Be good, or the bogey man will come and get you!
http://www.dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=8591
I suppose it also depends on how you pronounce it. "Bogey man" and "bogy man" look like they'd be pronounced [bOugi(:)m@n] whereas "boogeyman" looks like it should be pronounced [bu:gi(:)m@n]. So my suggestion it to spell it the way that fits your accent.
It's a bit like "ass" verses "arse". I pronounce the word "arse" as [a:s] and the word "ass" as [@s]. I call the body part an [a:s] so spelling it "arse" makes sense. I call the animal an [@s] ... well I'd usually say "donkey" but ... so spelling it "ass" makes sense.
An American, on the other hand, would pronounce both words [@s] so it would not make any sense for them to spell one of the words "arse". They'd pronounce "arse" as [a:rs] (and some of them would say [a:s]).
An interseting thing is that when you type "bogey man" into Google it asks if you meant "bogeyman" thus I suppose this is a valid spelling too ... yes, according to The American Heritage Book of English Usage it is. "His aliases include bogeyman, bogyman, boogeyman, boogyman, boogieman, and also boogerman, boogarman, and buggerman." I kind of like "buggerman", this one sounds extra nasty.
http://www.bartleby.com/64/C007/030.html
I've never had to write the word (until I started to write this post) but if I had I'd have chosen "boogeyman" just because this fits my pronunciation better than the single "o" alternatives.
Friday, February 20, 2004, 03:25 GMT
Well, I guess that makes a new question. How do you pronounce ''bogeyman''.
Friday, February 20, 2004, 05:32 GMT
"Bogeyman" seems to spell [bOugi(:)m@n]: that's how I'd pronounce it.
Friday, February 20, 2004, 11:10 GMT
I pronounce ''bogeyman'' as [bugi:m@n]. SO, you've never heard of the bogeyman before?
Saturday, February 21, 2004, 23:15 GMT
Here's some ''boogeyman'' news. § 30. bogeyman
We are all frightened by this mysterious character, but we cannot seem to agree on what to call him. His aliases include bogeyman, bogyman, boogeyman, boogyman, boogieman, and also boogerman, boogarman, and buggerman. The original word was probably bogey or bogy with the other forms springing up as pronunciation spellings. Pronunciation options include (b´g), (b´g), (bg´), or (bg´r), (b´gr), or even (bg´r). According to the Dictionary of American Regional English, the form boogerman prevails in the South, and boogeyman everywhere else in the United States.
We are all frightened by this mysterious character, but we cannot seem to agree on what to call him. His aliases include bogeyman, bogyman, boogeyman, boogyman, boogieman, and also boogerman, boogarman, and buggerman. The original word was probably bogey or bogy with the other forms springing up as pronunciation spellings. Pronunciation options include (b´g), (b´g), (bg´), or (bg´r), (b´gr), or even (bg´r). According to the Dictionary of American Regional English, the form boogerman prevails in the South, and boogeyman everywhere else in the United States.